Committee approves memorial asking HED to convene task force to study parenting students

The Senate Education Committee adopted an amendment to Senate Memorial 16 and returned it with a due‑pass recommendation. The memorial requests the Higher Education Department to convene a task force to study parenting students across New Mexico's higher education system, collect data on barriers they face and recommend policy responses; the measure does not change law or create programs.

Sponsor testimony emphasized that collecting routine data is a practical first step to identify interventions. Tracy McDaniel of the Southwest Women's Law Center said institutions already collect many survey responses and that adding a question to identify parenting students would allow policymakers to design targeted supports. Jonathan Salazar of New Mexico Voices for Children also urged the committee to support the memorial, arguing that data is necessary to improve degree completion among parenting students.

Committee members asked whether the study would carry a fiscal burden; sponsor testimony said the memorial itself would add a question to existing surveys and is not expected to impose substantial costs, though costs for programmatic responses would depend on needs identified. The committee adopted the amendment (to reflect the senate version) and voted to return a due‑pass recommendation.